Two years ago, French public opinion was following closely the news of the kidnapping of three members of the NGO \"La D\u00e9fense\".SOS Chr\u00e9tiens d'Orien<\/a>t\" in Iraq. As is prudent in this type of situation, the media did not give any further information in order to facilitate negotiations and attempts to free the hostages. Two months of captivity, which for those concerned seemed like years, ended thanks to multiple diplomatic and humanitarian efforts. Alexandre Goodarzy<\/a>38 years old, married and father of a child, was one of them and decided to write down his experience in a book-testimonial, Warrior of Peace (\"...\").Guerrier de la Paix<\/a>\"). <\/p>\n\n\n\n -I come from a modest family and environment, from a city of immigrants. At that time, it was one of the most dangerous cities in France. My father is Iranian and my mother is French. I had a complicated childhood and youth, violent, sometimes even ideologically extreme, like many of my friends. In addition to a certain material and social misery, my environment was characterized by a real cultural and spiritual scarcity. For a long time I felt an existential void, a lack of \"verticality\" and transcendence in my life. My environment, quite marked by communism, was exactly the opposite of what I was looking for: single-parent and unstable families.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n In these neighborhoods, a kind of clash of civilizations is taking place between Christianity, which is increasingly absent, and Islam, which is becoming stronger and more dynamic. The loss of identity and of the roots of the Judeo-Christian culture has created a vacuum which Islam, and in particular certain radical currents, have been able to exploit. If this clash is just beginning to be visible at a more general level in France and that is why some political movements are trying to channel these anxieties and fears, it is the daily situation of Christian communities in the East for many years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n -My personal history is linked to Christianity because it was the religion of my home. In fact, I received the sacraments. However, my faith was not very strong and the environment did not help me either, so I was easily influenced by that environment. The turning point in my life is clear and corresponds to the encounter I had with the Bronx Franciscan community that settled in my city. They taught me that God is Love; this fundamental truth is not always easy to assimilate when life has shown you that you have to go through difficult stages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I spent nine months living in a convent, a kind of spiritual retreat to discern my vocation and prepare myself to receive Confirmation. During that retreat, I especially felt the presence of God in a confession where I think that even the priest had prophetic words because I only understood them years later in Iraq, while I was kidnapped. Confirmation was also for me a very strong moment of faith as I considered myself a soldier of Christ. The words pronounced in that ceremony \"Here I am\" marked me deeply. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is your story? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Did you receive a Christian education?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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